Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order (Paperback)

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Review
It is one of the more astonishing truths in the world of science that mathematics, the most abstract of disciplines, should be able to shed so much light on the natural world. The Fibonacci series explains why the seeds on a head of a sunflower arrange themselves in the way that they do, and there are equations which can generate patterns like those on the skins or shells of animals. Today the new scientific study of synchronicity or sync - things that happen at the same time - is creating insights into the working of both the physical and natural world. Steven Strogatz is a mathematician working in this field, particularly specializing in coupled oscillators - where two or more oscillators have a chemical or physical process that allows them to influence one another. He has been studying the subject for 20 years, creating simple models using computers and equations, and successfully reducing the complexity of nature to manageable proportions. In the first part of his book he discusses natural phenomena which exhibit synchronicity, such as species of fireflies that align their rhythmical flashes, the cells of the heart muscle or brain, and the human body's circadian clock. He explains how mathematics brings an explanation to what had previously been considered inexplicable. In section two he turns his attention to the physical world. As he points out, 'While sync in living organisms may require explanation it does not unduly surprise. That sync exists between inanimate objects is perhaps more astonishing.' He describes synchronicity observed in proximate pendulum clocks, lasers, superconductive materials and even the problems with the Millennium Bridge. Finally Strogatz discusses ongoing research and the directions it might lead. His many insights include traffic congestion, stockmarket runs, how the mind might be produced by the working of the brain, and crowd behaviour. Professor Strogatz writes about the history of his subject, the work of his predecessors and contemporaries, and includes his own researches and the results of his studies. He writes very clearly and enjoyable for the lay reader, with an admirable ability to use the fewest number of words to sum up the essence of complex theories. This is a very readable book by a world-class scientist about a fascinating and important subject. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
"Sync" is the story of a dazzling kind of order in the universe, the harmony that comes from cycles in sync. The tendency to synchronize is one of the most far-reaching drives in all of nature. It extends from people to planets and from animals to atoms. Steve Strogatz looks at human sleep rhythms, menstrual synchrony, insect swarms, superconductors, lasers, heart rhythms and codes, showing how self-organization produces our coherent world.

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First Sentence
SO WROTE PHILIP LAURENT IN THE JOURNAL Science in 1917, as he joined the debate about this perplexing phenomenon. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover

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8 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   17 of 17 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Popular science done very well, 28 Sep 2003 By A Customer This book is one of the best examples of popular science that I have read. The author is a scientist and knows his stuff but he also has the ability to explain his material in very simple terms. He does this by the use of relevant and well thought out analogies. Sync is about things in nature that synchronize without any central controller. Strogatz starts with the example of Fireflies that flash on and off together in their thousands. The book then takes us on a journey through a surprisingly large range of natural phenomena that exhibit sync and the science that is revealing how sync works. This is a relatively easy book to read. There are no equations. The writing style is as good as any I have encountered. There are real and interesting characters and just the right level of humour. It is not a text book and does not pretend to be. It is popular (but serious) science done very well. Best of all for me is the genuine excitement which the book conveys about this subject. It has inspired me to seek out other books on the same theme and I would definitely read another book by Steven Strogatz. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   16 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Universal harmony, 23 Oct 2004 By  Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    This review is from: Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order (Paperback) Sync investigates the concept of universal harmony. The drive to synchronization is one of the most far-reaching phenomena in the universe, encompassing people, planets, atoms, animals and a whole lot more. But the laws of Thermodynamics seem to dictate the opposite - that nature should degenerate toward entropy. This is not so, as magnificent small and large structures like galaxies and cells keep assembling themselves in perfect harmony. Drawing on Chaos & Complexity Theory, Strogatz examines the connections linking the phenomena of the mathematics of self-organization, where trillions of interactions result in order emerging from chaos. There is a steady and insistent pulse at the heart of the cosmos that resonates from the nucleus of the cell to the largest galaxy in a chorus of synchronized cycles that pervade all of nature. The author refers to the work of scientists from many disciplines, including Einstein, Richard Feynman, Brian Josephson, Norbert Wiener, Paul Erdos, Stanley Milgram, Boris Belousov Edward Lorenz and Arthur Winfree. Part One, Living In Sync, deals with these manifestations in for example human brainwaves and the behaviour of fireflies, whilst Part Two, Discovering Sync, looks at the universe as a whole and at quantum theory. Part Three, Exploring Sync, investigates synchronization, chaos and small world networks. There are some black and white illustrations, copious notes and an index. This book is a fascinating journey through the strange and beautiful phenomenon of synchronization, the harmonious music of the universe that builds and sustains life. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A superb read., 29 May 2007 By  Interested in Books "gfx19" - See all my reviews This review is from: Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order (Penguin Press Science) (Paperback) Inspiring, entertaining, fascinating. Sync is a real treasure trove for anyone interested in emergence, non-linear dynamics, networks and A-Life. It's great that he takes a fresh angle to this subject matter, and there are lots of anecdotes and examples that are not in any of the other popular books on these subjects. Definitely in my Top 10! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 8 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best This is beyond doubt one of the finest books I have read in recent years. It is obviously not intended as an easy read but the author has dealt with some extremely difficult... Read more Published 1 month ago by J. Robinson 5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully interesting book - seeing the world from a different viewpoint This book and the ideas it introduces are rather like going skydiving for the first time. Thrust into a whole new world of knowledge it is at first unnerving, later exhilirating,... Read more Published on 21 Dec 2006 by A. Jessop 4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly fascinating Whilst the book lacked some cohesion and a decent conclusion much of the information was fascinating. I especially enjoyed the section on sleep cycles. Read more Published on 27 Sep 2006 by Jaq 3.0 out of 5 stars Not an easy read, but definitely an interesting one A very interesting book on an obviously interesting area of science. Plenty of interesting mathematics (without equations and the drudgery) to keep the interest, combined with... Read more Published on 5 Jan 2004 by chris29226 3.0 out of 5 stars I'm too thick for popular science books This book left me feeling really thick. And I got a First at Cambridge as well (no, really I did). I'd give it 4 stars but I could do with just a few equations, because I think... Read more Published on 11 May 2003 by Ram Kumar Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 8 customer reviews...

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